The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) criticised Qatar’s authorities on Tuesday for what they described as an inadequate response to the revelation that up to 4,000 workers could die building stadia for the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar has acknowledged problems regarding labour rights for the country’s 1.2 million migrant workers, but ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow said the mere promise by authorities to increase the number of labour inspectors was not good enough given the severity of the situation.

“There are already labour inspectors and they have no impact,” Burrow said. “What is needed are laws that protect workers’ rights to join a union, bargain collectively and refuse unsafe work — and only then can inspectors do their job.

“The laws in Qatar give employers total control over workers so no worker will feel able to speak freely to a labour inspector.”

In March 2013, the ITUC registered a complaint with the Ministry of Labour against six Qatari companies after workers contacted the ITUC to document their cases.

The Labour Relations Department of the Ministry of Labour in Qatar received 6,000 worker complaints in 2012, while the Indian embassy in Qatar received 1,500 complaints in the first five months of this year.

The country’s strict visa sponsorship rules, known as the kafala system, mean that workers cannot change jobs without their employer’s permission and cannot leave the country unless their employer signs an exit permit.

“Many workers suffer exploitation for fear of retaliation if they speak out. We have taken the step of lodging a case with the International Labour Organisation describing how Qatar’s work visa system allows employers to use forced labour,” Burrow said.

The ITUC reported that workers in the Middle Eastern country are often forced to live in squalid conditions and are denied the right to form unions.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has promised to put the issue of labour rights on the Fifa executive committee agenda when it meets in Zurich on Thursday.

“The spotlight is now fully on Qatar’s abhorrent labour practices. It has taken two years to get this far and pressure will need to be sustained if lives are to be saved and dignity restored,” Burrow said.

“The billions of dollars at stake will see increasing pressure inside and outside of Qatar to stay silent.”

Qatar’s selection as World Cup host has also been questioned by gay rights activists, as well as clubs unhappy that the country’s extreme summer heat may force the competition to be moved to winter.